The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2012-13 BASKETBALL PREVIEW is faster, the players are stronger," Ristovski said. "It was a whole new level, and it's something you really have to push yourself to be able to keep up with everyone else." Another player who will share time at the point guard position is Brenae Harris, a sophomore who played limited minutes last year. She averaged just 2.0 points per game — but hit 42.6 percent of her field goal attempts on the year. "Last year was very frustrating, because having the ability to do something — and then not doing it — is very tough," Harris said. "When you know you can do something, but you're not showing it, people are questioning you. But I know I can do it, and my teammates do, too. "Over the summer, we played pickup, we had lifts. In the scrim- mages, I was trying new things, be- cause that's the time to do that, and when I saw I was having success, it gave me more confidence. I just kept pushing myself." Barnes Arico sees Harris as a combo guard who can run the point when the Wolverines need a change of pace. Barnes Arico said. "She is exception- ally athletic, and we need to use her, especially on the defensive side, to give teams a little pressure. We don't really have anyone that stands out, athletically, as she does." "She is exceptionally quick," brought St. John's to its first NCAA Tournament bid in 18 years, she was obviously ecstatic. At the tour- nament site, legendary Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma took her aside to give her some advice. "He said, 'It's easy to get there.' I laughed and said, 'St. John's hasn't been here in forever. It's not easy to get here,'" she said. "And he said, 'No, trust me. It's easy to get here. The hard part is to stay here.' We didn't go back until '10, and then we went three straight years. If teams play together for a long time, they can reach the NCAA Tournament, but to have a consistent program, you need to have depth and people coming back." LOOKING TO THE FUTURE In 2006, when Barnes Arico That's what she's trying to do in Ann Arbor. "It's building," Barnes Arico said. "I think that's what we're excited about as a staff, the opportunity. We have already been out there, and the excitement people have about our program and the university and the opportunity to play basketball, we know it's going to be a process. "But this senior class is coming off Senior center Rachel Sheffer was Michigan's leading scorer last season, pouring in 12.8 points per game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL of three years of doing things that hadn't been done in a long time. So, we owe it to them to do everything we can to make this the best year we can make it. I don't think I can say that it's the NCAA Tournament or Tournament Sweet 16 last season, the Nittany Lions were the pick of both the conference coaches and media to win the league in 2012-13. The Big Ten releases just the top three of both preseason After winning the Big Ten and making a run to the NCAA what our win-loss record will be. We have to take it one game at a time. "Building the championship culture and the championship program will be a process. But we will do every- thing we can to let these seniors go out on the highest note possible." u Penn State Pegged As Big Ten Favorite polls, but Penn State was a unanimous selection for the No. 1 spot. The coaches and media agreed on No. 2 — Nebraska — but split on the predicted third-best team in the league. The coaches chose Purdue, while the media took Ohio State. The Nittany Lions are returning four starters from last year's team that led the conference in scoring (75.7 points per game), scoring margin (plus-13.2), three-point percentage (.362) and defensive rebounds (28.5 per game). Junior guard Maggie Lucas, who was third in the Big Ten in The Year with Ohio State senior guard Tayler Hill, who was the only player in the conference to average more than 20 points per game last season (20.4). On their preseason first-team All-Big Ten squad, the coaches selected Lucas, Hill, Bentley, Iowa senior center Morgan John- son, Minnesota sophomore guard Rachel Banham, Nebraska junior forward Jordan Hooper and Purdue junior guard Court- ney Moses. The media's team looked like this: Lucas, Hill, Hooper, Bent- ley and Ohio State senior guard Lindsey Moore. "I think the league is going to be really strong this year, scoring (19.5 points per game) last year, is back to lead the Penn State offense. She was pegged as a preseason All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media. Penn State senior point guard Alex Bentley, who was fourth in the league in assists (4.7 per game) and second in steals (3.0 per game), was also selected preseason first-team All-Big Ten, and the coaches named her preseason co-Big Ten Player Of 80 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2012 head coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "A lot of teams are bringing back a lot of players who had a good amount of success last year. The league is going to be really, really tough. "Penn State is obviously coming off a great year, and they " U-M followed that up with a solid recruiting class. They play an up-tempo style, which has given us some trouble in the past. Ohio State always has a solid group. Purdue and Minnesota have good cores returning. Obviously the team down the street always gives us a difficult time. " — Andy Reid